


Revenge of the Phantoms

by DrivelLegion



Category: BattleTech: MechWarrior
Genre: Clan Invasion, Fedcom Civil War, Lyran Alliance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-13
Updated: 2019-11-13
Packaged: 2021-01-30 06:07:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21423421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DrivelLegion/pseuds/DrivelLegion
Summary: The life of a mercenary is a life of risks. One wrong decision can lead an entire unit to disaster. That is exactly what happened to Jeremy Kaiser. Aligned on the wrong side of the Fedcom Civil War, his team of skilled mercenaries has taken part at the Battle of Odessa. They lost. The unit has been utterly wiped out, and everything that Jeremy's family has fought to maintain for ten generations has gone up in smoke. But a Kaiser never accepts defeat. Jeremy vows to rebuild his unit from the ground up, starting over and carving a name for himself in the Inner Sphere. But without the resources he once had, his chances of success are dismal. Perhaps with the right client, the right plan, and a hearty dose of luck, he can turn things around.
Kudos: 3





	Revenge of the Phantoms

Jeremy stumbled from his downed mech, the smoke from the reactor billowing around him in black plumes of foul-smelling filth. He could hardly breathe and his vision was bleary. The light from the fire and its extreme heat had left him dazed and disoriented. He limped forward, desperately trying to escape the smoke. The pistol in his hand felt heavy, like a block of lead. His arms felt so weak he doubted he could even lift it to aim.

As he finally emerged blackened and wheezing from the smoke he took stock of the field. It was pure mechanical carnage. All around was the wreckage of what had once been his unit of devoted followers. To his left he could see Svelta's stolen Panther lying on its side, the proud Lyran blue now smeared with grime and burns. The cockpit was on fire, the pilot herself trapped inside. To Jeremy's right he saw what was left of Benjamin's Guillotine. The mighty beast was in tatters, its armor shredded from a hail of coordinated PPC fire. Its cockpit had been completely vaporized even before it went down. There was no chance Ben had survived. Jeremy cursed as he limped on, wishing that he could see a destroyed mech that didn't belong to one of his own.

He crested a small rise and felt his heart sink into his stomach. Just over the hill he could see Chelsea's Shogun. Its legs were twisted at odd angles and its torso was pockmarked with holes. The cockpit looked intact, but the smoke billowing from the machine made Jeremy feel sick. Of all people why did it have to be her? He sank to his knees and buried his face in his hands.

He was ruined. His father's once mighty team of mercenaries was now shattered, its members dead and their equipment destroyed. The battle had been swift and fierce, but they had never truly stood a chance. He had known every one of his pilots ever since childhood. They had helped raise and train him in the ways of the mechwarrior. When his father had retired and asked him to take command not a single one of them had complained. They had trusted him completely. He had failed them.

Tears stung his eyes as he thought of Chelsea. He had never expected someone like her to enter his life. When he claimed her as his bondsman following their duel he had expected her to resent him. He had expected to constantly watch for a knife in his back. Instead she fell in love with the unit, its people, and even with him. She never talked about her days in the clan, preferring instead to act as if she had never been part of it. She changed her speech to be like theirs and learned to carry herself like a Lyran. Jeremy gulped down air as he stared at what remained of her Shogun, the pain at having lost her making it difficult to breathe. His fingers were numb and his arms felt cold, defying the flames that billowed around him.

A noise from behind him snapped him back to reality. His pistol flew into the ready position as he whirled around, then dropped as he recognized the source. Bjorn Halverson was approaching, clinging to the stump where his left arm had once been. Jeremy rushed to his side, hurriedly wiping the tears from his cheeks. Now was the time for strength, not weakness. Bjorn saw him coming, an empty smile crossing his lips.

"Boss! You're alive!"

Jeremy tried to return the smile, but the muscles in his face refused to obey. "Barely. How are you holding up?"

Bjorn laughed, choking on the smoke in the air. "How does it look like I'm holding up? I've lost my damned arm, for Odin's sake!"

Jeremy came alongside him, sitting him down on the ground. "Let's get a tourniquet on that before you bleed out. Heard anything from your brother?"

Bjorn nodded. "He's back at the base. It's a mess over there, Boss. They... They massacred everyone. The techs, the bookkeepers, even the janitorial staff. Halver managed to hide, but the others weren't so lucky. Phasmos is gone, Boss. What do we do?" Bjorn's voice cracked as he choked on a sob. He pounded the ground with his remaining fist. "Dammit! It's not supposed to end this way! Aaaargh! My arm feels like it's melted!"

Jeremy ripped a shred of cloth from his jacket, tying it tight just above the wound. The bleeding stopped as the arteries were forced shut. Jeremy pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "We'll be alright, Bjorn. As you can see, my day hasn't gone too well either. Looks like Chelsea didn't make it."

Bjorn stared at the remains of the Shogun, his mouth hanging open. "No, that can't be. Nobody can kill Chelsea. Clanners are tough as nails. Yeah! Look, look, I see her!"

Jeremy whirled around, his eyes wide as he searched for her. Bjorn was right. She was there, pulling herself from the cockpit and sliding down the mech's sloped torso. Jeremy sprinted toward her, his footing uneasy on the loose ground as he desperately scrambled to meet her. She saw him approaching, relief written on her face. She threw her arms wide and caught him as he stumbled into her embrace, the pair collapsing together on the ground. She tried to croak out a sentence, but her throat was too dry. Jeremy helped her up, letting her lean on his shoulder as he pulled her to where Bjorn was seated.

"You scared me," he gasped. "I thought you were gone."

Chelsea smiled at him, shaking her head. She coughed, black phlegm spewing from her mouth. "Not yet," she breathed. "Not my time yet."

Jeremy set her down beside Bjorn then surveyed the damage. There was virtually nothing left of their unit. They would be lucky to have enough scrap to salvage a pair of mechs from all the wreckage. His hands fell on his hips. The sinking feeling in his gut returned. He felt empty, directionless, and lost.

Bjorn spoke up again, his breathing more steady than before. "Boss, what do we do now?"

Jeremy sat heavily on the ground , resting his arms on his knees. His mind searched for an answer, but there were none to be found.


End file.
